Red Fire
by immortalruby
Summary: Jane gets kidnapped; there a fire and a hospital stay… The story isn't finished so that's all I got for the summary at the moment. Sorry.
1. Chapter 1

[_Since I just love watching_ The Mentalist_, decided to give this fan fiction a try. I just hope I can portray the feelings and characters as accurately as possible.]_

A house was on fire. Inside, the air was filled with smoke, making every breath a torture. Lisbon pushed the panic out of her mind and continued searching.

"Jane!" shouted Lisbon before breaking into a coughing fit. She had to bend lower to get away from the smoke but it wasn't helping much. Tears were already streaming down her cheeks and she could barely see in front of her.

As Lisbon looked around, wondering if she should go up to the second floor when she heard an inconsistent thumping sound. With the sound of the crackling fire around her, Lisbon was amazed she could even hear it!

Following the sounds, Lisbon located the source and made her way over to the closet under the stairs leading to the second floor. Thankfully, the fire was still pretty much contained in the kitchen and had not spread. Even so, Lisbon knew it would be a matter of minutes before the fire reached her position and if she didn't get out soon, the acrid smoke would suffocate her before that. There was also a danger of a further explosion.

Reaching for the door handle, Lisbon tried turning it and giving it a jiggle. No luck, the door was locked.

"Jane, if you're in there, hang on," shouted Lisbon as she placed an ear on the door. She heard several thumps in answer to her shout.

Lisbon reached for her gun but changed her mind and looked around. She didn't know the situation behind the door. If Jane was locked in the closet, she could risk shooting him. Her eyes landed on a brass paper weight on a table nearby which looked heavy enough to knock the handle off the door.

Picking it up, Lisbon got a good grip of the weight and brought it down on the handle. After 5 tries, the handle came off and Lisbon dropped the weight to pull open the door.

"Jane!" exclaimed Lisbon when she saw Jane on the floor of the closet, gag tied around his mouth, hands bound behind his back and feet tied as well.

Lisbon quickly untied Jane's hands and got to work on untying his feet. Jane pulled off the gag and said, "Am I glad to see you. What took you so long?"

In spite of everything, Lisbon rolled her eyes, and replied, "Out. Now!"

As the two of them stepped out of the closet, they saw that the fire had crept out around them. Jane started coughing and raised an elbow to cover his nose. Both looked around trying to spot a way out. Seeing a relatively clear route, Jane grabbed Lisbon and pulled her along.

The fire was getting bigger by the second and the whole place was already filled with thick smoke. No able to clearly see where he was going, Jane knocked his right shin against a coffee table, causing him to yelp.

Jane and Lisbon managed to stumble out the front door and pass the garden before collapsing on the sidewalk. Jane was leaning against the fence and trying to wipe his eyes to clear his vision.

Lisbon was on her hands and knees, coughing the smoke out of her lungs. Her vision was blurry and she felt she couldn't breathe.

Jane was about to stand up to help Lisbon when she fainted right into his lap.

"Lisbon?" asked Jane, gently shaking Lisbon, concern written all over his face.

Just then, Jane heard sirens and soon saw several fire trucks, an ambulance and Van Pelt's car screech to a halt near them.

Chaos ensued with everyone moving at once. Fire fighters got down to putting out the fire, paramedics and the CBI team swarmed around Jane and Lisbon.

"What happened?" asked Van Pelt, looking from Jane to Lisbon.

"Breathe into the mask," instructed a paramedic, who pushed a mask over Jane's face.

"Lisbon was in there trying to find me. She must have breathed in more smoke than I did," said Jane, explaining before coughing again.

Two paramedics carefully laid Lisbon on the pavement and felt for her pulse. One took another mask and placed it on Lisbon.

"Her vitals are weak. We have to take both of you to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation," said the first paramedic.

"I'm fine," insisted Jane.

"You may feel fine now but smoke inhalation is dangerous. You have to come with us," instructed the paramedic as he helped his colleague strap Lisbon onto a gurney. "It's either you come willingly or we strap you down as well."

"Just go, Jane," pleaded Van Pelt.

"Fine," said Jane, "but just to keep Lisbon company."

Rigsby, who had been talking to the chief fire fighter came over and said, "The fire will likely take an hour to put out and it'll be another hour before it'll be safe to go in."

Cho had been on the phone, hung up and said, "Hightower wants us to stay on top of this and Jane, you have been ordered to go to the hospital."

"Okay, I'm going," said Jane, getting up. As he took his first step towards the ambulance, he grimaced and nearly fell over.

Van Pelt asked, "Are you okay?"

"Must be the bruise I got from banging into the coffee table inside," said Jane, pulling up his right pant leg to show off an ugly bruise.

"That's nasty," said Cho.

With the help of Risgby, Jane limped over to the ambulance and got in.


	2. Chapter 2

_[Thanks so much for the reviews, _Auqa Mage _and _Jisbon4ever_. It really made my day. I'll of course try to continue with the story as best as I can. Still trying to work out the details of Jane's abduction in the first place. _

_Anyway, here's Chapter 2 for my readers!]_

Upon reaching the hospital, Jane was forced to sit in a wheelchair while a nurse pushed him in. He and Lisbon were separated and Jane was sent to be checked over. Two hours later, after several tests and examinations, Jane was pronounced relatively fit but was to stay overnight for observation.

Once Jane was left alone in his room, he restlessly looked around. He had been given some pain killers just before being sent to his room and he was glad that it took the edge off the pain. It was also making him feel lethargic.

As Jane was about to drift off to sleep, wondering how Lisbon was, a nurse came into the room with a clipboard.

"Hi," said Jane drowsily. "May I know which room my colleague has been sent to? The one who's unconscious from the smoke inhalation. Teresa Lisbon?"

"Oh, she's just down the hall. She's still unconscious but the doctor isn't too worried. Once Ms Lisbon's slept it off, she'll be as good as new," said the nurse as she placed the clipboard at the foot of his bed.

"Hmm," acknowledged Jane, suddenly extremely tired and closed his eyes.

The nurse smiled and quietly left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

_[Thanks for the reviews. It really makes me want to keep on writing! So, here's Chapter 3!]_

"Hey sleepyhead!" a voice greeted Jane has he awoke.

Disoriented, Jane looked around, frowning. Then he remembered he was in the hospital. He looked over to the chair next to his bed and saw Lisbon smiling at him.

"You're awake?" answered Jane.

"Yes. I wasn't on pain killers and slept through the night. Woke about an hour ago and decided to come look in on you," explained Lisbon.

"It's morning already?" asked Jane, looking over to the curtained windows and spotted the sunlight below the drapes.

"Yes," said Lisbon.

"Must have been some strong pain killers," said Jane, pushing himself up on his elbow. "Are you sure you're okay to be out of bed?"

"Yes, I'm sure. The nurse said so too," said Lisbon.

"Well, thank you for saving my life yesterday, Lisbon. It means a lot to me that you care enough to go into a burning building for me," said Jane.

"I couldn't very well let you burn," jested Lisbon, blushing.

Jane was about to say something when there was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal Cho and Rigsby.

"Morning," chorused Cho and Rigsby, entering and closing the door behind them.

"Morning!" said Jane.

"Boss, Van Pelt's checking up on the leads back at the office and we decided to drop in to visit the two of you," said Rigsby.

"Why are you blushing?" asked Cho, looking at Lisbon.

Jane was grinning and Lisbon chocked, "No, I'm not. It's… it's just hot… I'm going back to my room. The doctor should be coming round at any moment." Lisbon ducked out of the room without another word.


	4. Chapter 4

_[Here's the next chapter. It isn't very long either since I try not to be too long winded. But I promise the kidnapping chapter(s) will be longer. I'm working on it :D ] _

Later in the afternoon, when Lisbon and Jane were discharged, Rigsby was waiting by the car to pick them up. Jane had a slight limp and had to lean on Lisbon for support. Lisbon deposited him in the back seat and fastened her seat belt in the passenger seat while Rigsby drove off.

Along the drive, Rigsby and Lisbon discussed about Jane's recent abduction in low tones as they noticed Jane had drifted off to sleep in the back.

"Jane must still be exhausted to be sleeping so much," whispered Rigsby, glancing at the rear view mirror.

"Must be the pain killers he was given before leaving the hospital," reasoned Lisbon. "We should drop him off at his place first."

"Will do boss," answered Rigsby as he made a turn towards Jane's house. "You think we will need to arrange for protection for Jane? I mean, in case his abductors came back?"

"We would need to but I'll bet Jane wouldn't agree to it," said Lisbon, deep in thought. "Jane will try every trick in the book to try and get away if he knew there is someone watching over him. Besides, it'll be for tonight. He's expected to be back at work tomorrow."

"We're here," said Rigsby as he pulled up outside Jane's home. "Nice!"

Everyone on the team knew where Jane lived but no one had actually seen his home before.

"Wake up, Jane," said Lisbon, turning in her seat.

Suddenly, Jane jolted awake, looking around a little dazed. "Oh, you brought me back home."

"Yes, Jane. You're getting the day off but I expect you back in the office tomorrow," said Lisbon.

"I don't need a day off," said Jane but had to cover his mouth has he tried to suppress a yawn.

Lisbon crossed her arms and glared at Jane.

Jane lifted his hands in surrender and got out of the car.

"You need help?" asked Rigsby, calling out the window.

Jane just waved a hand in the air, indicating help was not needed and continued walking towards his door without turning back.

Jane let himself in through the front door and heard the car drive off. Sighing, Jane rubbed his face with his hands and looked at his clothes. Since he didn't have a change of clothes when he was admitted into the hospital, he was discharged in the same sooty clothes he had on the day before. Jane could still detect a faint hint of the smoke on the clothes.

_[Didn't describe Jane's house coz I really don't think I can do justice to it. So, readers, let your imagination do some work here!]_


	5. Chapter 5

Back in the car, Lisbon said, "Drop me off at my apartment and go back to Jane's place. Watch the place to make sure no one tries anything. I'll get Cho to relieve you later tonight and I'll have Van Pelt pick him up tomorrow morning."

"Pick him up?" asked Risgby.

"Yes. I'm not having him drive around with that limp of his," answered Lisbon, taking out her phone and dialing a number.

Just as Lisbon finished her call back to the office, Rigsby pulled up outside her apartment.

"Thanks, Rigsby. See you tomorrow," said Lisbon, getting out of the car.

"Sure, boss," replied Rigsby, driving off after Lisbon closed the door.

Staring after the car for a moment, Lisbon unlocked her door and went in, looking forward to a much needed bath.

* * *

When Rigsby got to Jane's street, it was already dusk. He parked some distance away and watched the house. Rigsby saw a light in a room on the second floor and a silhouette in the curtained window. A moment later, the light went off and all was quiet.

Satisfied, Rigsby settled into the car seat and looked into the paper bag he had picked up in the drive-thru before coming back to watch Jane's house. He unwrapped a sandwich and bit into it as he watched for danger from a distance.


	6. Chapter 6

"Morning, Jane!" greeted Van Pelt just as Jane stepped out through the doorway.

"Morning… What are you doing here?" inquired Jane, a hand still on the door knob.

"Oh, I'm here to drive you to work. Lisbon doesn't want you driving around with that bruise on your leg," explained Van Pelt.

"Really. The next thing will be Lisbon having me watched round the clock," said Jane, locking his door.

Van Pelt gulped and studied the ground, not answering. Jane turned around and studied Van Pelt.

"No. There were already people watching me yesterday," said Jane, matter-of-factly.

Van Pelt's head snapped up and she said, "Lisbon had Rigsby watch your house after he sent her back and Cho relieved him last night. Lisbon's just worried that your abductors might return."

"Then we better get on with solving this case," said Jane, gesturing for Van Pelt to lead the way. "Shall we?"

Van Pelt gave a stiff nod and led the way to her waiting car, leaving Jane to make his way slowly over to her.

The drive was relatively quiet with the two having small talks, trying to relieve the tension which had unknowingly built up that morning.

* * *

By the time the duo arrived at the office, Jane already had Van Pelt laughing and he was grinning away.

"Good to see you so chirpy this morning, " said Lisbon, walking by round the corner with some files and a mug of coffee.

"Morning, boss," said Van Pelt, getting serious.

"Good morning to you," echoed Jane, still smiling.

"How's the bruise?" asked Lisbon, setting her things on the table at the corner of the bullpen.

"Much better," answered Jane. "I'll be driving by tomorrow."

"We'll see," said Lisbon, unconvinced. "Come on, we're having a meeting."

Rigsby and Van Pelt came over to the table and the group all sat down.

"Okay, Cho will be joining us later in the afternoon but I want Jane to tell us everything that has happened," Lisbon.

Jane stared ahead, into the distance, thinking about how to begin…

_[It's going to get much more interesting real soon but I don't have access to writing materials __the next few days so the next update will be a little longer than usual. Please bear with it. Thanks.__]_


	7. Chapter 7

_[Well, I'm back and here's the next update. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I had writing it!]_

2 DAYS AGO

It was a boring event which Jane regretted agreeing to attend. The ballroom of the country club was filled with rich pompous aristocrats, the kind which irritated Jane so. Jane stepped out a side door and onto the lawn. The sun was just setting and the air was stifling. Jane took off his coat and hooked it on a finger over his shoulder.

Inside, Lisbon was also at the event and she soon realized that Jane was missing. Lisbon excused herself from the group she was talking to, explaining to them about CBI. The event was a charity drive that was raising money for a number of beneficiaries including CBI.

Lisbon walked past a window and looked out, seeing Jane strolling away. Lisbon sighed and started to move towards the door leading out to the lawn. Hightower had instructed the two of them to be on their best behavior and Lisbon had to keep an eye on Jane and make sure he didn't have anything up his sleeves to jeopardize the event.

Jane spotted a black van parked along the lines of vehicles in the drive way. It was obviously out of place compared to all the other sports cars there. Curious, Jane walked over to it.

Before he got any closer, the door of the van opened and out jumped 2 masked men, grabbing Jane while he tried to resist. They pushed him into the van and the driver punched the accelerator, speeding off. Jane never even got the chance to shout for help.

Lisbon came out the door just in time to see Jane being pushed into a van. Lisbon kicked off her heels and raced across the lawn but was too late. In mere seconds, the van was crashing through the wooden barricade at the gates and was out of sight.

Lisbon pulled out her phone from her clutch and made the call for assistance. Absent-mindedly, Lisbon bent down and picked up the coat Jane had dropped on the drive way while still on the phone. When she was done, Lisbon turned and saw a crowd had gathered in the lawn behind her. Sighing inwardly, Lisbon knew she had her work cut out for her and a lot of explaining to do.

When Jane was thrown into the van, and the door slammed shut as the van sped off, the two men quickly gagged his mouth against his protests and blind folded him. His hands were tied behind his back and Jane was forced to lie quietly on the floor.

The uncomfortable ride lasted long enough for Jane's right arm to fall asleep as he was made to lie on one side. When the van pulled to a stop at last, the three abductors got out and dragged Jane with them.

Throughout, Jane never heard them say a word and he was groaning as the blood rushed back into his arm, giving him pins and needles.

"Quiet," demanded a rough voice as Jane felt a hand slap the back of his head. He kept quiet.

Jane was made to walk over some foliage and the rustle and snaps of the leaves and twigs underfoot was loud in the silence.

After a few paces, Jane's foot kicked something and he stumbled, falling onto some wooden steps. Jane heard an evil chuckle and was pulled to his feet. One of the abductors guided Jane up some steps and into a rundown shack.

Inside, the four were confronted by a fifth person. Jane heard the steady footsteps of his fourth abductor walking towards him. Since he was blind folded, Jane had no idea what the person was doing. _Studying him no doubt_, he thought.

"What the… Who is this?" asked the man.

"He's the one you wanted us to get," answered one of the original abductors.

Suddenly, Jane felt the gag being ripped out of his mouth. "Thank you," said Jane, flexing his jaw to relieve some tension.

"Are you Matthews?" demanded a male voice, getting in close to Jane's face and he could smell the cheap beer in the breath. When Jane didn't answer straight away, he was grabbed by the lapels of his shirt.

"What's your name?" hissed the male again.

"I'm not Matthews. I'm Jane," answered Jane.

Jane heard a snicker to his right and he felt himself being shaken. "Are you trying to be funny?" snorted the male.

"No. You must have gotten the wrong guy. I'm not Matthews. I'm Patrick Jane," said Jane.

Jane was roughly pushed down into a chair and he felt hands patting his vest pockets and his pass being drawn out.

"CBI. Hell! You got the wrong guy you idiots," cussed the male, throwing the pass at one of his accomplices.

"He looked a lot like Matthews," mumbled another male voice.

"But he's not. Plan's got to be changed," said the male.

Jane heard four sets of footsteps walking out the door and he twisted round in his seat, "Obviously you got the wrong guy here. Why not let me go?"

The door slammed and there was silence. "I promise I won't tell!" shouted Jane. He sat expectantly for a moment but when there was no other noise, his shoulders slumped and he tired to loosen his bonds by moving his hands and feet.

_[Oh, it sure took me a while to squeeze out the details for the kidnapping!__ Phew, it was much easier having it run through my head than writing it.]_


	8. Chapter 8

Taking a sip of his tea, Jane continued, "After a few hours, the guys came back and drove me to the house Lisbon found me at. Someone must have started the fire, hoping to burn me in it. After they locked me in the closet, I managed to get the blindfold off and, you know the rest…"

"So it was a case of mistaken identity," reasoned Lisbon.

"If we found this Matthews person, we might know who the culprits were," said Rigsby.

"Van Pelt, run the check of the attendance list for the charity event and see if you can find this Matthews person," instructed Lisbon.

"Right away, boss," said Van Pelt, moving over to her desk.

"We need to find out where Jane was taken before we found him at the burning house," said Lisbon.

"Oh, I can take you there," said Jane.

"You can? I thought you were blindfolded," said Rigsby, frowning.

A smile spread across Jane's face and he tapped the side of his head with a finger and got up, "Shall we?"

* * *

"You mean you remembered the way all the time you were blind folded?" asked Rigsby, incredulous. He was driving the car with Lisbon next to him and Jane in the back seat

"Of course. It's easy. You just have to concentrate," said Jane. "Take the next left."

"If you say so," said Rigsby. Even after all these years of working with Jane, it never fails to amaze him how Jane's mind works.

After countless twists and turns, Rigsby had given up trying to remember the way and just followed Jane's instructions.

Throughout the ride, Lisbon had been relatively silent and occasionally, she would glance at the mirror and watch Jane in the back seat. Jane was comparatively quiet, only speaking up when necessary to give directions.

* * *

Lisbon was worried about Jane. In the hospital, she had asked the doctor about Jane's condition and was told that he had several bruises all over his body on top of the one he had on his leg which he got in the burning house.

Lisbon had meant to ask Jane about it in the office that morning but when he made no mention of it, she thought it would be better if she asked him only when she could do it privately. She suspected he had been beaten when he was held captive. That was why Jane was given the pain killers in the hospital. It wasn't just for the bruise on his leg.

Now, as she watched him in the mirror from her seat, Lisbon wondered if she should have given him the rest of the week off.


	9. Chapter 9

More than an hour into the drive later, Jane brought them to a wooded area. Having turned into a slip road, Rigsby took the car over the uneven ground and gritted his teeth as he wrestled the wheel.

Soon, Jane told him to stop and everyone got out of the car. Lisbon could just make out a building in the distance behind some bushes and trees.

Motioning for silence, Lisbon led the way to the shack and drew her gun. Rigsby did likewise and Jane fell back a few steps, following.

The clearing around the shack was empty and there was no movement. Lisbon listened for a moment and decided it was safe to proceed.

Approaching the shack cautiously, Rigsby went up the steps first and stood by the door, listening. He gave a slight nod and Lisbon went up. Jane stood by at the side of the shack and looked on.

Lisbon unhooked the latch and pushed the door open. Rigsby entered behind his gun and immediately checked out the far end of the room. Lisbon went in behind him and checked out the other side.

A moment later, Lisbon stuck her head out the doorway and said, "It's clear, Jane. You can come in."

Jane went up the steps and into the shack. Inside, the place was dim and the smell of stale beer brought the memories flooding back. Jane shook his head to clear the images and concentrated on the present.

Walking around the shack, looking at everything for the first time, Jane came to the door at the other side of the entrance. He went in and picked something up off the floor. Lisbon and Rigsby had followed him into the room.

Jane flourished his find, grinning. It was his CBI pass and it confirmed that this was the place he was held captive.

Lisbon nodded and said to Jane, "Don't touch anything else. I don't want you disturbing anything."

"Sure," said Jane, sticking his hands into his pockets and wondered off.

Lisbon took out her phone and called Cho. She gave him directions to their location and instructed him to get the necessary people over to secure the place.


	10. Chapter 10

Early the next morning, Lisbon sat in her car outside Jane's house. Jane's car was still in the drive so she knew he hadn't left for the office yet. The night before, she hadn't been able to sleep well. Jane had refused any further surveillance for himself and Lisbon had reluctantly agreed.

Just then, Jane came out of his house and Lisbon noticed he was still moving rather stiffly. Blowing out a breath, Lisbon got out of her car and approached Jane.

Lisbon plastered a smile on her face and said, "Hi Jane."

"Hi Lisbon," said Jane. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," said Lisbon, contemplating how she should continue. "Hungry? Let's go get breakfast. I'll drive."

Lisbon quickly turned around and walked to her car, willing Jane to follow her without questions.

"Really, Lisbon. You didn't come all the way here just to take me to breakfast. I want to know what it is," said Jane.

"Ok, fine. I still don't want you driving around just yet," answered Lisbon, getting into her car and starting the engine. "Just get in."

Jane got into the car silently and set next to Lisbon.

"Do up you seat belt," said Lisbon, driving away. "Please."

"I'm fine you know. The bruise on my leg is almost unnoticeable now. I can drive," said Jane. "You shouldn't make this a habit." Secretly, Jane was glad Lisbon had sent Van Pelt over to pick him up yesterday but today…

"You said please," said Jane, turning to look at Lisbon.

"Huh?" said Lisbon, caught by surprise.

"Something's up. Breakfast is just a ruse for you so that I don't drive today but there's something else. You could have just gotten Van Pelt to drive me like yesterday but you made the trip yourself today," said Jane. "Why?"

Lisbon bit her bottom lip and replied, "You got me. I wanted to talk to you about something. We'll go grab breakfast first."

* * *

Arriving at a café on the way to the office, Lisbon and Jane took a seat in a corner and ordered breakfast.

Lisbon was taping her fingers on the table and looking out the window. Jane was studying her and the morning light streaming through the window made Lisbon look beautiful.

The waitress came by and set down two cups, coffee for Lisbon and tea for Jane. When she left, Lisbon stirred her coffee and looked at Jane.

Jane took a sip of his tea and raised an eyebrow.

"At the hospital, I asked the doctor about your condition," began Lisbon. She noticed Jane tense at her words. "There was more than that bruise on your leg, Jane. Care to tell me about it?"

"No," said Jane.

"Jane," warned Lisbon, at the edge of losing her temper. "Let me rephrase my question. Tell me what happened."

Defeated, Jane said, "After they found out I wasn't the one they had meant to kidnap, two of the men gave me a beating."

"Why didn't you mention it yesterday?" demanded Lisbon.

"What for? It's not going to help us find them any faster. No bones were broken," said Jane. "Everyone would just be worried."

"Of course we would have been worried. That's not the point," said Lisbon, exasperated. "They could have killed you!"

"But they didn't. Why didn't they?" said Jane.

"They did try to burn you in that house," said Lisbon.

"They could have just killed me in the shack. Why take me to another house?" insisted Jane. Lisbon didn't have an answer.

The conversation was interrupted by the waitress who came back with a muffin. Jane reached for the muffin and took a nibble; Lisbon poured syrup over her pancakes and started to eat. Both deep in thought as they ate their breakfast.

_[Sorry to have to leave you hanging after this. I'll be away for a few days so the next update may take a week to come up. I'll try to update as soon as I'm done.]_


	11. Chapter 11

_[I am truly sorry for having disappeared for so long since my last update. I had to think things through and hopefully not mess up this story. Took me a while to iron out some kinks so here the next chapter.]_

Once Lisbon and Jane stepped into the office, Van Pelt came up to them.

"I went through the attendance list and there was no Matthews, boss. However, there was a Jason Matthews on the invite list but he didn't show up at the charity event. Apparently his car broke down on the way to the country club," said Van Pelt as she walked beside Lisbon, reading from her file. "It's his photo you've got to see."

Cho and Rigsby gathered around the three as Van Pelt handed a colored head shot of Jason Matthews to Lisbon. In the photo, the man had a head of blond curls and intense blue eyes.

Rigsby's gave a low whistle, saying, "That looks a lot like Jane, a younger Jane!"

"No, it doesn't," said Jane. "I mean, ok, I see the resemblance in the hair but that's about it."

"I can see how the abductors could have mistaken Jane for Matthews if they didn't know him personally," commented Cho.

"Yes, that could happen," said Lisbon. "What do you think Jane?"

"We can know for sure there are at least four people involved in this. Three of them didn't know they made a mistake with me and even the fourth wasn't sure. When they realized they had made a mistake, they tried to burn me in a house," said Jane. "They're not very good at what they do, suggesting they are amateurs. They had to kill me but didn't want to do it personally."

"What did you find out about Jason Matthews?" asked Lisbon, directing her question at Van pelt.

"Matthews has kept a pretty low profile and a clean record. He mainly deals in construction and investments, and is an up-and-coming tycoon," said Van Pelt. "I've got his address if you want to talk to him."


	12. Chapter 12

Two cars pulled up outside the gates of a mansion and Lisbon spoke with a voice over the intercom. She showed her badge to the camera mounted beside the speaker and a moment later, the gates swung over.

Parking near the main doors, Lisbon, Van Pelt and Jane got out of the first car and Cho and Rigsby from the second.

As they walked up the steps, the door opened and an elderly butler came out. He must have been the one who spoke to Lisbon over the intercom.

"If you'll follow me please," said the butler.

"Certainly," answered Lisbon, and the group was led down a hallway and into a parlor where one wall was lined with books. A number of sofas and couches gathered around a coffee table in the centre of the room.

"Mr Matthews will be with you shortly," said the butler and left.

When the butler was out of sight, Rigsby said, "Just look at this place! It must have cost a bomb to have this place done up."

Van Pelt nodded in agreement, awed by the ornate furniture around her.

Jane had wondered over to the book case and was studying a row of books on the shelf when Jason Matthews walked in, followed by the butler with a tray of tea things.

"Good morning, I'm Jason Matthews," Matthews said. "Please have a seat. How can I help you?"

"Mr Matthews. I'm Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon," greeted Lisbon and introduced her team. "That's Agents Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt. That's Patrick Jane, our consultant."

Jane walked over to the group and when Matthews looked at Jane, he did a double take. They did look rather similar and yet there were also the subtle differences which set the two men apart.

The butler poured out tea for everyone and left the room with a bow to Matthews.

"Thank you James," said Matthews to the butler.

After the butler made his exit, Lisbon proceeded to give a brief account of what had happened after the charity event.

"Yes, I heard about the kidnapping at the country club," said Matthews. "To think I would have been the victim if I _had_ been there is overwhelming!"

"Can you think of anyone who could have a grudge against you?" asked Lisbon.

Thinking about it, Matthews answered, "No one specific. I come from the business world. There are many cut throats out there and any one of my competitors could have something against me."

"In that case, you should be guarded at all times," said Jane.

"Why is that?" asked a shocked Matthews. "You think they will try to abduct me again?"

"Yes," said Jane. "They were told to take you specifically. Chances are, they will lay low for a while but ultimately, they are likely to try again."

"In the event that they do try to abduct you, you can be rest assured that we will do whatever's necessary to protect you," said Lisbon.

"What about my wife and daughter?" asked a horrified Matthews. "Wouldn't they be in danger too?"

"They might, Mr Matthews," said Lisbon. "I need you to help make sure they do not go anywhere on their own. You shouldn't either."

Matthews looked troubled but he nodded in agreement.

Jane leaned forward in his seat and asked Matthews, "Tell me, what would you do to keep your wife and child safe?"

"Jane!" hissed Lisbon, glaring at her consultant while the rest of her team sat in uncomfortable silence. Jane ignored Lisbon and continued to stare at Matthews.

Matthews didn't answer but instead, stood up and walked over to a side table and photo frame. He came back to his seat and handed the frame to Jane, saying, "This is a photo of my wife, Susan and daughter, Matilda."

Lisbon noticed a flicker of pain crossing Jane's face as his looked at the photo. In the photo, Jason Matthews was carrying a toddler in one arm and he had another arm wrapped around his wife's waist.

Jane nodded and gently placed the framed photo on the coffee table.

To break the uneasy silence, Lisbon said, "Thank you for your time Mr Matthews. I will leave Agents Rigsby and Van Pelt here to provide assistance to secure your property for your family's safety."

Matthews stood up and shook Lisbon's hand, saying, "Thank you. I will give my full cooperation in any way I can." Standing, Cho and Jane took turns to shake hands with Matthews before leaving.


	13. Chapter 13

"Meet me back at the office," Lisbon said to Cho when they got outside.

"You," Lisbon said, pointing to Jane, "Are coming with me. I want to be able to keep my eye on you." Without a word, Jane followed Lisbon.

Throughout the drive, Jane didn't say a single word and Lisbon kept quiet. On the highway, Lisbon couldn't keep the silence any longer.

"Penny for your thoughts?" asked Lisbon.

"Huh?" said Jane, snapping out of his reverie.

"Tell me what's on your mind," prompted Lisbon.

Emotions crossed Jane's face as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "The photo back at Matthews'?" said Jane. "It reminded me of my family."

"You want to talk about it?" asked Lisbon, stealing a quick glance towards Jane.

"No," said Jane, turning his head away from Lisbon to look out the window without another word. Lisbon gritted her teeth and concentrated on the road for the rest of the drive. Sometimes, she just didn't understand why she even tries to be nice to someone who always gets on her nerves!

_[Just a really short chapter to tide over the holidays. Merry Christmas to all the readers!]_


	14. Chapter 14

It was late and the rest of the day had gone by rather peacefully. Lisbon had been in her office most of the time, tapping away at her keyboard or filling in some reports.

Occasionally, Lisbon would look out into the bullpen in search of her team's consultant and be reassured to see him on his couch. Lisbon knew all too well that keeping him in her line of sight wasn't going to guarantee that Jane isn't getting into any trouble but it was better than nothing.

That was the best she could do for now, what with all the paperwork Jane had generated for her recently. She couldn't very well glue herself to him. The image that appeared in Lisbon's mind made her raise an eyebrow. _Now, where did _that _thought come from?_

The last time Lisbon had spotted Jane from her desk was when Rigsby had called to update her from the Matthews residence. Lisbon had sent Van Pelt home from there and Rigsby was instructed to remain until Cho went over to relief him.

That was an hour ago. Jane had been in his coach, working on his book of puzzles and Lisbon remembered how the rays of the setting sun had caught his blond curls and made it look like he was glowing.

Now, the sun had set and the only light came from artificial sources. Cho had left for the Matthews' home and Jane's couch was empty. _Where is Jane?_ For some reason, Lisbon began to panic.

Lisbon got up and went into the bullpen, calling, "Jane?" She was half expecting the man who never grew up to jump out of hiding and scare her. The surprise never came and the whole office was empty. _So where had Patrick Jane gone to?_

"Oh no," moaned Lisbon when a thought suddenly dawned on her. Hesitating just a split second, Lisbon pulled out her phone and dialed.

Three rings and the phone remained unanswered. "Pick up, Jane," muttered Lisbon to herself. No luck, she got voice message instead. Next try was directly diverted to voice message. Jane either wouldn't answer, or _couldn't_.

Lisbon tried Cho and Rigsby but their phones were engaged. "Damn it!" said a frustrated Lisbon as she ran to her office and snagged her car keys. She called Van Pelt and got through almost immediately, "Where are you?"

"On my way home?" answered Van Pelt, "Is something wrong?"

"Change of plans," said Lisbon. "Meet me back at the Matthews residence. Jane is up to something."

"Yes, boss," said Van Pelt, hanging up.

This was exactly the kind of situation Lisbon was hoping to avoid but apparently, Jane thought otherwise. She should have just tied and gagged Jane up in her office when she had the chance.

_[Happy New Year everyone! Just maybe, poking at a hint of Jisbon. Imagine the things I could do if I could glue myself to Jane!]_


End file.
